'We have to be everywhere': How this female exec is shaping the Mercedes-Benz brand

How does German automaker Mercedes-Benz target its next generation of buyers?

"You have to talk to the drivers and the dreamers," according to Melody Lee, Mercedes' chief marketing officer in the U.S.

Lee, who joined the marque in 2023, has a tough job: helping to make sure the company exists another 140 years.

An experienced marketing and automotive exec (Lee was previously the global brand director of BOOK by Cadillac), Lee spends hours every week talking to customers and enthusiasts about how they shop for cars and what they're seeking in their next Mercedes. She is overseeing a new site in California where gearheads can check out the brand's vehicles and meet an atelier who can design their dream Mercedes.

You'll often find Lee at the Mercedes-Benz Formula 1 paddock or sponsored events like the Masters and Super Bowl. But working in automotive is not as glamorous as it seems, she said.

Lee spoke to ABC News about where she's finding new customers, how she's preserving the brand's storied history and why women are so crucial for selling cars.

The interview below has been edited for clarity.

Q: What was your directive when you joined Mercedes-Benz as chief marketing officer?

A: When I joined in 2023, we were in a midst of a massive transformation ... we were trying to figure out how to market multiple powertrains at once. I had to figure out how to communicate this new era [of electrification] for Mercedes-Benz. At the same time, everything was changing constantly. The second thing that was really important was protecting the heritage of a brand that's been around for 140 years. You just don't discard everything that's happened before. So that was my challenge: balancing between the past, present and future.

Q: How are you trying to reach potential EV customers, especially those who may not be familiar with the brand's electric lineup?

A: For us, the most important thing to convey is that we've got the vehicle you want. We've got the choice of powertrain you want. The average consumer doesn't know what powertrain even means. They know they want a gas vehicle or an electric or hybrid vehicle.

Q: How are you reaching new customers? And how effective is social media for marketing?

A: We focus very much on being in the places where are customers are. That means many different channels, one of which is social media. But that can also mean anything from television to all forms of digital media, to experimental events where [customers] can see, feel, touch and drive our vehicles. We have to be everywhere that they are. Everyone is trying to experience the brand and our products in a different way.

[Customers] are coming from all over. They are exploring and learning on social media, for sure. We've had a lot of success on [TikTok]. They're doing a ton of research on third-party sites. The Mercedes-Benz USA site has over 30 million visitors a year. They are coming in through traditional advertising, in college football, or NFL or the Masters. Our job is to capture that interest and generate a lead and then pass it to our dealers so they can close on those leads.

No brand can stand still. And you can't be around for another 140 years if you're not trying to reach the next generation and the one after that. You have to talk to the drivers and the dreamers.

Q: How important is the Formula 1 partnership to selling cars?

A: Formula 1 is one of the best assets we have. It doesn't matter how the team is doing, we have such a strong brand.

It's a great marketing tool -- we can reach the race fans and consumers who are in Miami or Las Vegas. It's something we try to capitalize on every year.

Q: What is the toughest part of your job?

A: Balancing a lot of different stakeholders and different opinions and priorities. It probably sounds glamorous to be an executive in automotive, but actually what it really comes down to is trade-offs. What you're doing all day long is thinking about how do you trade off something so you can prioritize something else.

I have a lot of audiences I need to talk to every day. My average day starts with talking to Germany and headquarters, then the second group I usually talk to are my colleagues in the U.S. or the team I am managing, then the third group is our dealers in the U.S. You have to talk to the customer, too. It's a balancing act talking to all of these groups.

Q: How often do you talk to customers?

A: We're very lucky we have customers who we can reach out to directly. We have a program called Silver Arrows, which is our most loyal customers around the world. And the benefit of having 150 Silver Arrow customers in the U.S. is that you can talk to any of them at any time to understand what they're looking for, what it's like to shop for a Mercedes-Benz vehicle, what's really popping, what they're consuming. You can understand how they're traveling, where they are staying, what kind of food they're interested in, what kind of wine they are collecting. It just gives you so much insight into their world and how they're shopping for a car.

Q: How are people shopping for cars now?

A: A lot of people think that everyone wants to buy their car online. What we're seeing with Mercedes-Benz customers is they want that interaction. They want a test-drive, they want to go on one of our AMG experiences, they want to kick the tires, they want to visit a dealership. They do a lot of research online, but when they're ready to buy, they want to sit in the car. They want to feel the leather.

In 2025 we made the switch to [actress] Lucy Liu as the voice of the brand. She has an elegant, versatile voice. And we have seen every piece of advertising perform more strongly as a result. [Women] are more convincing when it comes to buying [and] are more trusted.

Q: You're a female executive in an industry that is notoriously male dominated. How do you make sure your voice and opinions are heard?

A: I remind our team -- male and female -- that half of our customers are women. Our research shows that over 80% of the decisions in any household when it comes to purchases are made by women. I am not just talking because it's about me. I am talking to represent our customer.

Q: The luxury segment in the US has become ultra-competitive -- more brands have houses, are offering bespoke configurations, inviting owners to exclusive events. How does Mercedes continue to lead in that space?

A: Our manta in marketing is meeting customers where they are. If that means social media, we're going to meet them there. If they want an experience where they can touch and feel and build their car, we will do that too. We are going to always build the best experiences that allow customers to interact with the car however they like.

We plan to open this summer a brand experience studio in Beverly Hills. You will be able to see a rotation of all of our vehicles. There will be an atelier upstairs for our Manufaktur program. That is a great example of building a space where a customer might not be ready to go into a dealership and just wants to experience the brand.

Q: Where do you want to see the brand in the next few years?

A: When you work at a brand that's been around for 140 years, your job is to preserve its legacy for the next 140 years while also pushing it into places where it can grow and capture new customer segments. You do it thoughtfully, you do it carefully, you do it honoring by what has come before you.

What's really important for all brands but especially luxury brands is cultural relevance. We have to be culturally relevant in order to appeal to every generation.